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Such was the case for Scarlett Johansson when she auditioned for Lisbeth Salander, the troubled, pierced lead in “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” series.

David Fincher told Vogue about the difficult casting process for Salander, and how girls were flown in from across the globe for the part. He said Johansson was “great.” But there was one caveat: “The thing with Scarlett is, you can’t wait for her to take her clothes off."

Fincher elaborated why Johansson wasn't the right fit for the role: "I keep trying to explain this. Salander should be like E.T. If you put E.T. dolls out before anyone had seen the movie, they would say, ‘What is this little squishy thing?’ Well, you know what? When he hides under the table and he grabs the Reese’s Pieces, you love him! It has to be like that.”

Child Stars Then and Now

And so, it was Rooney Mara’s lucky day, though casting was an intense experience for the once “Social Network” actress. She tells the magazine that once Fincher told her to get drunk and come in hung-over the next morning so he could show casting directors she could look "strung out."